Saturday, May 30, 2015

We're battling against the wealthiest corporate interests in America. So we need the strongest, boldest grassroots movement we can build.

Hi MoveOn member,

This is Ben Cohen, the "Ben" of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I've decided to put my money where my mouth is by building a national, grassroots campaign to get Big Money out of politics.

The truth is that I can't outspend the big political donors whose influence is corrupting our political system. I can't chase them out, scare them out, or shout them out. But together, we can all stamp them out.

The Stamp Stampede is a movement of tens of thousands of Americans legally stamping dollar bills with a simple message: "Stamp Money Out Of Politics—Amend the Constitution."

I know my fellow MoveOn members have been sending that same message through phone calls, rallies, and petitions for years, which is why I want to invite you to also spread that message by stamping your money—and support MoveOn in the process.

Will you donate at least $10 to support MoveOn's important efforts to overturn Citizens United? If you do, MoveOn will send you your own stamp so you can spread this message about getting Big Money out of politics.

Want to break up the big banks? Want to reduce the Pentagon's budget? Want to strengthen—not cut—Social Security? Want to take real steps to fight climate change?

Then your first order of business is to stamp money out of politics—because as long as big corporations, the 1%-ers, and their lobbyists can buy as much influence as they want, the rest of us will see no progress on the issues we care about the most. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

You can stamp your foot ... and you'll end up with a footache. Or you can stamp your dollar bills (yes, it's perfectly legal) and let your money do the talking. As your bills circulate, so will your message about reclaiming our democracy. It's like a petition on steroids—each bill will be seen an average of 875 times!1

And while you're taking action individually, you're also funding MoveOn's collective action—which is key if we're going to overpower the Big Money that wants to keep buying and selling our political system.

I'm excited to be working with MoveOn because they get the importance of this fight.

MoveOn members helped push the Senate to hold a historic vote on a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United last fall.

MoveOn members were part of the coalition that delivered 5 million signatures calling to overturn Citizens United this January.

Over 100,000 MoveOn members signed petitions, made phone calls, and attended rallies urging President Obama to issue an executive order that all federal contractors must disclose political spending.

If this fight were easy, we'd be done by now. But we're battling against the wealthiest corporate interests in America—so we need the strongest, boldest grassroots movement we can build. That includes MoveOn and the Stamp Stampede, and it really relies on all of you.

Can you pitch in $10 or more today? Your money will make sure MoveOn keeps pushing for executive and legislative action to reclaim our democracy—and you'll get a stamp so you can tell the world: "Stamp Money Out of Politics—Amend the Constitution."

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 30, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

More economic growth, higher wages, shared prosperity—all by strengthening unions. 50 or 60 years ago, it was considered obvious; today, folks are afraid to talk about it. That's what decades of right-wing propaganda will do.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

I'm Kurt Walters of Rootstrikers, and we started a petition to Michael Froman, U.S. trade representative, which says:

Disclose all communication between yourself and representatives of the ten largest financial institutions--including lobbyists, employees, and trade associations--during your tenure as U.S. trade representative.

United States Trade Representative Michael Froman is one of the key people negotiating details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. But his dealings with the largest financial institutions that are lobbying for passage of the TPP demand more attention.

Froman has a cozy relationship with big banks and other financial institutions. He helped Barack Obama raise money from Citigroup during his 2004 Senate and 2008 presidential campaigns. Froman remained on Citigroup's payroll while working to load the executive branch with bank-friendly officials as co-chair of President Obama's transition committee in 2008. And Froman received a $4-million golden parachute from Citigroup when he left to join the Obama Administration.

Big banks may see Fast Track authority for the TPP and other trade deals as a backdoor opportunity to undermine financial regulations. The American people deserve to know what the U.S. trade representative is promising these institu tions and asking of them in return.

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Kurt Walters, Rootstrikers didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

P.S. This is the sixth idea in our series "The Big Picture: Ten Ideas to Save the Economy." In case you missed the first five, once you've watched End Corporate Welfare, be sure to check out the timely Fight for $15, Help Working Families, Expand Social Security, Tame Wall Street, and Reinvent Education videos, which you can access through the website.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Do you have an idea for a petition? Help change the world and start your own MoveOn petition today.

Dear MoveOn member,

Ever heard Margaret Mead's famous saying? "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

That's the story of MoveOn. In 1998, when a Republican Congress was focusing all its efforts on impeaching President Clinton, two people with no political experience started a simple online petition: "Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation."

They shared their petition with their friends, and within days they had hundreds of thousands of signatures. Today, MoveOn has over 8 million members—mostly folks who got involved by signing an online petition, and have stayed active in helping to fight for a progressive America.

That's why we launched MoveOn Petitions where you can start your own online petition and invite your friends to sign it. We'll send the most popular petitions to other MoveOn members to help build support for your cause.

Jeb Bush has raised so much money that he's told his billionaire donors to give no more than $1 million now and save the rest for later—and he's going to let his Super PAC run his campaign.1,2The billionaire Koch brothers have pledged $100 million to the candidates they support, likely including Governor Scott Walker's run for president.3,4 While Ted Cruz raised $4 million in a few days, he helped his Super PAC raise $31 million.5 And Hillary Clinton is planning on raising $200-300 million for Super PACs that back her—in addition to $2.5 billion for her own campaign.6

This system is disgusting. It's proof that our democracy is more awash in political spending than ever. It's a reminder that the richest 1%, corporations, and their lobbyists are going to own these elections—and that pushes the rest of us to the sidelines.

Fortunately, MoveOn's 8 million members are doing something about this—and I know, because I'm a MoveOn member, and I see the meaningful, long-term work MoveOn is doing to overturn Citizens United.

Which is why I'm writing today: Will you join me in supporting MoveOn's efforts to overturn Citizens United and combat its impact? If you donate $10 or more, my friends from MoveOn will send you a stamp that you can use to legally stamp your own dollar bills with this simple message: "Amend the Constitution—Stamp Money Out Of Politics."

MoveOn members helped push the Senate to hold a historic vote on a Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United last fall.

MoveOn members were part of the coalition that delivered 5 million signatures calling to overturn Citizens United this January.

Over 100,000 MoveOn members signed petitions, made phone calls, and attended rallies urging President Obama to issue an executive order that all federal contractors must disclose political spending.

And I know that my fellow MoveOn members and I are in this for the long haul—from achieving those executive orders to taking campaign finance reforms to the state level to ultimately bringing a constitutional amendment through Congress and to the nation.

There's work to be done—and it's not getting funded by Jeb Bush's Super PAC.

Will you join me in fueling MoveOn's work to stamp Big Money out of politics? And if you give 10 bucks or more, I'll send you your very own stamp so you can spread the message on your own.

I founded the Stamp Stampede because I've realized that getting money out of politics is the single most important fight of our generation. Whether you want to break up the big banks, reduce the Pentagon's budget, or fight climate change, you have to start by reclaiming our democracy.

The Stamp Stampede has grown into a movement of tens of thousands of Americans, stamping dollar bills and circulating important ideas throughout the American economy. The more we can spread the word, the more we can build the movement. Each stamped bill will be seen an average of 875 times; it's like a petition on steroids!7

So, I'm ready to send you a stamp—and I'm ready to add my own stamp of approval to MoveOn's work. Let's not let billionaires have all the fun. This is our country. Let's stamp out Big Money and take our democracy back.

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 23, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Elementary school students waking at 2 a.m. with nightmares about high-stakes tests. Middle schoolers stuck in crowded classrooms in underfunded schools. College grads whose reward for surviving it all is a lifetime of debt.

Our broken education system is squashing passion for learning, eroding the love of teaching, and grinding up generations of young people. It's time to reinvent education, and I need your help to get the word out.

Powerful special interests see schools only as sources of potential profit, and they blame the same hard-working teachers who buy supplies out of their own pockets for all of the problems in American education. The last thing they want is for millions of Americans to see this video.

Please watch and share today, and not only will you help shed light on commonsense solutions—you will be voting for MoveOn to campaign on reinventing education, in close partnership with our allies.

Here's what American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten had to say about the video: "Reich's strategy to reinvent public education is a sensible, actionable way to give children the schools and services they need to succeed. Count me in."

P.S. In case you missed them, once you've watched Reinvent Education, be sure to check out the timely Fight for $15, Help Families Work, Expand Social Security, and Tame Wall Street videos, which you can access through the website.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Did you see Nicholas Kristoff's article in The New York Times last week? He eloquently described the plight of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, who are stranded at sea in cramped, dangerous ships to escape persecution by their home country's religious majority.

As he noted, individual activists have been scrambling to prevent thousands of people from dying—without much help from world leaders:

"Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project, a human rights group, said she has been in cellphone contact with two ships full of refugees, and she suspects that there are more farther from land and thus out of cellphone range. One is drifting without engines or adequate food, and she, as a private citizen, has been frantically trying to organize a search-and-rescue effort to save the passengers—so far, unsuccessfully."1

As Kristoff notes, the U.S. could stop this without military action. So why isn't President Obama doing so? Our friends at United to End Genocide have launched a powerful campaign calling on President Obama to take action now. Will you add your name?

President Obama, I call on you to help the Rohingya trapped at sea, fleeing the threat of genocide. The U.S. government must help with immediate search-and-rescue operations to find and rescue the Rohingya, use all influence they have to push countries in the region to welcome all those stranded at sea, and call on Myanmar to stop attacking the Rohingya so they can live safely in their homes.

Fleeing the threat of genocide, thousands of ethnic minority Rohingya from Myanmar are trapped at sea in crowded wooden boats. With food and clean water running low, their lives are in danger.

Because of our pressure, the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia announced they will accept 7,000 Rohingya fleeing the threat of genocide, and the U.S. is also willing to help with resettlement.2,3 It's an important first step, but accepting victims is not enough—they need to be found and rescued. The Andaman Sea is about to become a floating mass grave, and it's because of the failure of governments, including that of the United States, to do what is necessary.

President Obama should call the leaders of Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, urging them to rescue and shelter refugees. The United States should assist with these rescue operations, and we must also make it clear that the root problem—Myanmar's persecution of the Rohingya—must stop.

Unless the policies of hate end in Myanmar, the crisis will only escalate. We must act now to save those stranded at sea and take the steps needed to protect the Rohingya who remain in Myanmar.

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. United to End Genocide didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

President Obama and the U.S. Congress need to hear from you before they rush toward approving a massive new trade agreement that would benefit corporations and undercut serious efforts to fight climate change.

This deal—the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP—has been called "NAFTA on steroids."1 It's the latest and largest in a series of international agreements that have attacked working women and men, fueled mindless and carbon-intensive consumption, and prevented governments from enforcing their own laws to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Trade deals such as NAFTA and the TPP bestow corporations with outrageous new powers, including the right to directly challenge participating governments for enacting any measures that jeopardize their profits. These corporate grievances are heard by unelected, unaccountable trade tribunals—and as history has shown, the energy and mining giants will seize on them to try to gut all manner of environmental laws.2

Existing trade deals and World Trade Organization rules are already being used to block subsidies for renewable energy and other supports for the clean energy sector.3 And the expansion of such agreements has gone hand in hand with the accelerating rise in greenhouse gas emissions.4

In short, this corporate free trade model that the TPP represents isn't only destabilizing our economies—it's also a key reason why our governments have failed to come to grips with the climate crisis.

History tells a clear story of poorly written trade agreements spelling disaster for the environment. In 2009, Canada's largest province, Ontario, passed the Green Energy and Green Economy Act—an ambitious plan to curb fossil fuels. For four years, it increased the production and use of renewable energy and created 31,000 jobs, and by 2013, only one coal plant remained in operation.5

That's where the good news ends.

Because of Ontario's attempts to build its local wind and solar industries, Canada was challenged for violating trade obligations—and soon, a core element of the province's green energy plan was scrapped.6 The message was clear for governments everywhere: If you take robust steps to fight climate change that threaten multinational corporations, you'll be challenged—and beaten—in unelected trade tribunals.

After years of runaway emissions growth, scientists warn that this is our last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change. The TPP would make that job significantly harder. Yet the U.S. Congress could vote next week to rush through the TPP without debate or amendment.

This is the fourth idea in our series, "The Big Picture: Ten Ideas to Save the Economy." And while it may seem like a big, crazy idea to the Washington beltway crowd, it's actually totally reasonable—and we've done it before.

P.S. In case you missed them, once you've watched Tame Wall Street, be sure to check out the timely Fight for $15, Help Families Work, and Expand Social Security videos, which you can access through the website.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Recently introduced legislation (H.R.1599) would prohibit any state efforts to require labeling of genetically engineered foods (GMOs), overruling legislation already passed in Maine, Vermont and Connecticut as well as bills moving in many other states.1

That's why I started a petition to the U.S. House of Representatives, which says:

I urge you to reject Representative Mike Pompeo's "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act" (H.R.1599), which would prohibit states from requiring the labeling of genetically engineered foods, or GMOs.

This bill, which is being promoted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, would prevent states from requiring GMO labels at any time. In fact, this bill is so anti-consumer it is commonly referred to as the "Deny Americans the Right to Know (or DARK) Act."

I urge you to reject this industry bill. We have a right to know what is in our food so that we can make informed choices about the food we eat.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, an industry group that represents Monsanto, Nestle, Dow, and Pepsi, is pushing this bill because it would let its members continue to keep quiet about their production and use of GMOs. 2

We need to make sure our members of Congress hear from their actual constituents, since they're already hearing from the industry lobbyists. Over 90% of voters support required labels for GMOs.3 Industry should not use Congress to undermine the public's right to know or the decisions of state legislatures that are responding to what their citizens want.

It's our right to know what's in our food, and corporations should not be allowed to keep us in the dark.

This petition was created on MoveOn's online petition site, where anyone can start their own online petitions. Food and Water Watch didn't pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics keeps detailed records about crime throughout the country, providing an invaluable resource to track trends and to help legislators and law enforcement agencies determine how to allocate resources. However, it does not currently track the number of police killings across the United States, or any details about those encounters or the victims—although it has the power to do so.1

The lack of comprehensive statistics about police shootings feels like willful ignorance on the part of the federal government. This record is crucial for determining patterns of violence and creating the solutions we need to ensure all communities are safe and secure.

Police forces around the country receive federal support. It's time for the federal government to mandate that police departments provide detailed information about police killings as a requirement to receive federal funds.

Tell the U.S. Attorney General of the Department of Justice to make this information available in a transparent and timely fashion.

Russ Feingold was the only U.S. Senator to vote against the Patriot Act in 2001.

He was one of the first and most outspoken opponents of the Iraq war.

He's one of the greatest champions against money in politics in American history.

That last point earned him some very powerful enemies: the Koch brothers. In 2010, they poured millions into the campaign of a Republican plastics magnate, Ron Johnson, and managed to narrowly defeat Feingold in the midst of that year's Tea Party landslide.

Now, Russ is back.

It's a rematch. Russ Feingold against Ron Johnson. And it's not just about a Senate seat, or even control of the Senate majority. This might be the year's single most crucial battle in the most fundamental political fight of our time: democracy versus plutocracy. People power versus Citizens United-style corruption.

Everyone in Washington will be watching with eagle eyes to see how much money Feingold raises on the first days after his announcement, and he's depending on regular Americans to contribute what we can.Can you pitch in $3 for Russ Feingold's campaign now?

This race is a national bellwether, a key test for whether the progressive movement has what it takes to go up against the Koch brothers and their secretive network of mega-donors.

But for me, it's also personal.

In the summer of 2001, I was lucky enough to serve as an intern for Russ Feingold in his Senate office in D.C. A lot of Congressional interns end their summers disillusioned. For me, it was the opposite: I left brimming with idealism.

There was one detail I'll never forget.

On our first day, Russ sat down with all of us interns and told us that we were there to serve the people of Wisconsin—not ourselves. From that moment forward, we had to follow the same rule he set for his staff, and for himself: we couldn't accept any gifts that were given to us because we worked for him.

No exceptions. No free t-shirts. No free drinks. If we attended an interest group's briefing for Hill staffers that offered free lunch, and we wolfed down a sandwich, then we had to write a check for the sandwich's value to the U.S. Treasury, where it would pay down the federal deficit.

I'll be honest—it was kind of a pain. Most D.C. interns basically live on free food. But Russ's point was crystal clear: he couldn't be bought. If we wanted to work for him, neither could we. And that point of pride was worth a hell of a lot more than a few turkey sandwiches.

On election night 2010, as I watched Russ give his concession speech, I cried. But yesterday, he stepped forward to say that the fight isn't over. And it's our time to step forward with him.

Will you chip in $3 today to help send Russ Feingold back to the U.S. Senate?

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 16, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

Friday, May 15, 2015

The corporate media won't cover this. I need you to watch and share Expand Social Security now.

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

Flat wages and the end of pensions have left millions of Americans facing a retirement crisis. Already, nearly half of our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents would live in poverty if it weren't for Social Security.

There is a simple solution, and it starts with defending Social Security from the right wing's lies. That's exactly what I do in the third video of the ten-part Big Picture series, and I need your help spreading the word.

In the coming weeks, MoveOn and I will bring you seven more commonsense ideas that have the power to make our economy work for everyone. We'll be relying on you to tell us which ideas you like most by sharing them with your friends and family.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

America is facing a retirement crisis but it doesn't have to be this way. Here's a simple solution.

Dear fellow MoveOn member,

Flat wages and the end of pensions have left millions of Americans facing a retirement crisis. Already, nearly half of our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents would live in poverty if it weren't for Social Security.

There is a simple solution, and it starts with defending Social Security from the right wing's lies. That's exactly what I do in the third video of the ten-part Big Picture series, and I need your help spreading the word.

In the coming weeks, MoveOn and I will bring you seven more commonsense ideas that have the power to make our economy work for everyone. We'll be relying on you to tell us which ideas you like most by sharing them with your friends and family.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Politicians talk a good deal about the "importance of family," but they need to do a much better job delivering. No one should have to choose between providing for their family and being a good parent.

In the second three-minute video in our Big Picture series, MoveOn and I lay out four game-changing ideas that will help—a lot.

Over the next weeks, MoveOn and I will bring you more commonsense ideas that have the power to make our economy work for everyone. We'll be relying on you to tell us which ideas you like most by sharing them with your friends and family.

Friday, May 8, 2015

If we're going to win an economy that works for all Americans, we need to become as effective and disciplined in our messaging as the Republicans.

Dear MoveOn member,

I think the Republicans are wrong about an awful lot. But you have to give them one thing: They know how to stay on message.

And the hard truth is, Democrats basically stink at it.

The Republican message is simple: Government is the problem. If we just cut taxes and regulations, then voila! Prosperity will follow. It's wrong—dangerously wrong. But the echo chamber of conservative thinktanks, right-wing media, and Republican politicians repeats it over and over and over.

Now here's the key: If we're going to build an economy that works for all Americans, we need to become as effective and disciplined in our messaging as the Republicans.

That's why I've spent the last few months teaming up with MoveOn Civic Action to develop a groundbreaking project to do just that. Will you chip in $3 to help kick off the next phase of this project with a bang?

Here's the plan: We've put together a platform with ten of the most powerful and important proposals to improve the lives of regular Americans. And we'll start by bypassing corporate media entirely, getting our compelling ideas in front of millions of people.

MoveOn's team of social media and viral video experts knows how to get these ideas out to millions of Americans, just as effectively as Fox News and Rush Limbaugh push out right-wing talking points.

P.S. We know this strategy can work because just a few weeks ago we created a viral video about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Our video was seen by nearly 3 MILLION PEOPLE in just a few days—and people all over the country are taking action to stop the TPP. Will you chip in to help keep that success going?

Robert Reich, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, was secretary of labor in the Clinton administration. He has written thirteen books, including the best-sellers "Aftershock" and "The Work of Nations." His latest, "Beyond Outrage," is now out in paperback. His new film, "Inequality for All," is now available on Netflix, iTunes, DVD, and on demand.

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 8, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

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